Kuwaiti authorities recently announced that starting July 2025, migrant workers will require permission to leave the country. They will have to submit a departure request form to their employer through the Ministry of Interior’s “Ashal” online portal or “Sahel” smartphone application and include the dates for departure and return.

This decision is an alarming step backward in Kuwait’s migrant worker governance. Instead of dismantling the kafala (visa sponsorship system) in its entirety, the Kuwaiti state is reinforcing it by putting migrant workers even further under the control of their employers and making them more vulnerable to exploitation.

There is no basis to Kuwaiti authorities’ claim that the exit permit will balance the interests of both employers and workers. Rather, the permit enables employers to trap workers in abusive situations and serves as a tool for retaliation.

Workers’ mobility in Kuwait is already restricted due to labor abuses, including employers confiscating passports, and the fear of employer retaliation, such as filing false absconding charges. Starting in July, employers will be provided with yet another tool of control by strengthening their ability to arbitrarily prevent workers from returning to their home countries. This could create further abuses …